1. Características del Año Mil
1.2. Contenido de la reforma
One mean to enhance activity and participation of the senior citizens is a voluntary work.
In
orderto enhance functional ability, health and well-being of the volunteers,i
t is important that voluntary work fulfils the following requirements; It should be based on a free choice, give possibilities to utilize one’s talents and participate in a meaningful way in society. Furthermore, volunteering should not be too time-consuming and binding. Incidentally, customers have been satisfied with the older volunteers. Particularly, voluntary work that involves visits to older clients, such as work of ‘friend visitors’ and ‘support persons’, have been found to be beneficial to the clients; Old volunteers are competent and likely to continue their job – that also is positive for the clients and for the voluntary organisations. Consequently, it is important to promote volunteering of the senior citizens. This may help their own health, self-esteem, well-being and social inclusion as well as the health of those receiving the services.“Friend visitor” and “support person” activities, in many countries organized, for instance, by Red Cross or congregations, could be called as an example of the ‘functional or best practice’. Next we shall present some volunteer projects in various countries that include functional practices and that may be applicable in other countries as well.
In Belgium140, the Training for Senior Citizens’ Consultant programme recognises and valorises the skills and abilities of senior citizens. The training actively contributes to the ability of older citizens to live their life according to their own wishes as long as possible. In training senior citizens are approached in their daily life situations and as citizens with economic and cultural rights and duties. The emphasis lies on supporting the formal and informal integration of senior citizens, both of those who need assistance, and of those who are making a significant contribution to society. This support is not limited to specific situations but is a continuous, dynamic and lifelong process. The training seeks to translate supporting principles flexibly in divergent situations.
In Germany141, “Experience for Initiatives” (EFI) is an important step in activating older generation taking part in voluntary work: around 1,000 older people have already taken part in courses to be
senior trainers in order to learn something new and to use their experience in many local projects – for
the benefit of all age and population groups locally. “Senior expertise teams” become reliable partners and important pace setters for voluntary involvement in local communities. Active senior citizens develop creativity, innovation and a willingness to act. They are putting the cycle of give and take between the generations back in motion and, at the same time, are drawing a new picture of old age.
139Text approved at the Pori Network Meeting on 29 November 2005; http://info.stakes.fi/ 140 Voluntary Action in Belgium - Facts and Figures. European Volunteer Centre
Similarly, in Germany, “Senior trainers” get involved in many ways: whether it is a matter of organising international aid transport, designing PC courses or project to support neighbourhood management in local authorities – “senior trainers” are active everywhere and they pass on their expertise and experience to others. The spectrum of involvement ranges from activities in the social sphere right up to innovative project ideas in culture or politics. The concept for the use of the experience of older people is aimed at older people who are not (only) involved in traditional voluntary work, but who want to contribute their expertise and skills flexibly, shape their involvement for themselves and act as multipliers. “Senior trainers” want to help to correct outdated images of old age and to redefine the role of older people in society.
The diversity of the involvement of the “senior trainers” has resulted in four roles of responsibility in which older people contribute their knowledge gained through experience in community life as “senior trainers”: supporters and counsellors, initiators of new projects, networkers in community life, team coordinators, moderators (http://www.efi-programm.de)
In the Netherlands, the SESAM Academy142 stands for Academy for Seniors and Society. Within the
Academy retired upper (business) managers can follow a training course and become a voluntary consultant for non-profit organisations. The training course encompasses study days, days of homework and 40 hours field practice. After the course they become SESAM consultant – on a voluntary base - in all kind of non-profit organisations, mostly on a project base, and always on their request, for a period varying from one to 50 days. The aim of their support is to improve the quality and effectiveness of the organisation143.
Some 90 Dutch local authorities run ‘guild projects’ (Gilden) through which older people offer their life experience and talents to those who are interested to benefit from it. The Zeist Guild offers for instance supplementary support to children with learning difficulties and gives conversation lessons to refugees.
In 1999, a three-year national incentive programme was initiated aiming to develop intergenerational activities at neighbourhood level. Through such activities people from different generations meet in order to learn from each other, help each other, or to work towards achieving a common goal relevant to their community. At national level, the Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare (NIZW) supports these efforts through a website, manuals, training modules for professionals and volunteer workers (e.g. on conflict resolution, participation), and by organizing project visits and study trips. NIZWprogrammes interconnect to similar initiatives of the European ‘Generations in Action’ network. (Factsheet, Senior Citizens in the Netherlands).
In Finland, we may note the three following examples:
1) Substitute grandparents144
A non-governmental organization Talkoorengas in Kerava, Finland arranges a service called substitute grandparenting. A substitute grandfather or grandmother can offer closeness and intimacy for children that do not have a grandfather or a grandmother of their own or are living far away from them/he/she. The Service is also available for families whose parents are working long hours or need support because of illness, economical problems or single parenthood. Substitute grandparents can bond with a child and support the whole family through bridging generational gaps and transposing cultural inheritance.
2) Loppukiri (”Final Sprint”)145
142 Factsheet, Senior Citizens in the Netherlands 143
Loppukiri (“final sprint”) is a building completed in 2006 based on peer-help and ageing together. The housing block contains 74 flats with at least one over 48 years old living in each one of them. The inhabitants are committed to cooking together and cleaning common facilities. Participating in common tasks gives the inhabitants a feeling of security in their everyday life. They feel that neighbourly help is a much better option than depending on public services or on relatives for help in their ageing-related needs and problems. The inhabitants are strongly committed to communality, are actively involved in all tasks and hence are willing to make their old age qualitatively better.
3) Hospital volunteers146
Talkoorengas in Kerava, Finland has since 1993 been organising a program of voluntary work in hospitals. The Volunteers visit two wards in the municipal health centre in Kerava and provide care that basically anyone could provide. In this sense, they are not there to replace the hospital staff or carry out their professional duties, but working alongside them. The wards have mainly bed patients with chronic diseases that are in many ways, especially physically, dependent on their helpers. The volunteers visit the ward approximately once per week a few hours at the time and they see one or more patients during their visit. The activities may include talking with the patients, listening to them or reading to him/her, sometimes even feeding and promenading – depending on the condition of the patient. Most of the volunteers are over 50 years old and retired.
In the United Kingdom, we may note the The GIA (Generations in Action) Programme. The main aim of the GIA programme was to enable older people to engage in helping younger members of the community through the use of mentoring and other one-to-one activities. The programme was later expanded and now GIA programme operates in many areas of England in addition to Salford core programme. The main aim of the programme encourages the transfer of skills and experiences of older people to younger people who are identified as needing extra support. The key features include for instance the promotion of volunteering by older people (aged 50+), a focus on mentoring as a form of volunteering activity, promoting the value of volunteering in terms of benefits to health and well- being, community engagement, social inclusion and community action for older people and seeking to increase the number of older people engaged in volunteering in their community.
According to Evaluation Report (Ellis 2004) all older volunteers of the GIA programme enjoyed a very good quality of life and were very positive in both outlook and the work they diligently committed to through the GIA scheme. The evaluation also indicates that many rediscover old skills, learn new things, and become more aware of their own needs and the needs of the young people they come in contact with in the wider community. The volunteers also gain in confidence, find companionship and enjoyment through their work.
An interesting initiative in Sweden aims to sensitize employers. The Swedish Voluntary Agency has promoted company volunteering. It aims to convince employers in Sweden to let their employees volunteer two hours per month every year on paid time. The Agency is currently working with insurance companies, banks, etc. to help them find volunteering for their employees.
Finally, in Poland, according to Law on Public Benefit Activity and Volunteerism, with respect to health care, a volunteer carrying out a service in the framework of this law is automatically covered by the general national healthcare insurance. In case of accident while performing a volunteer activity, the individual is entitled to compensation147.
3.4 Conclusions
Several programmes favour active ageing, notably:
146 http://www.talkoorengas.fi/sairvap.htm
- Social centres for seniors where they can participate in activities with others seniors
- Promoting structures enabling elderly to be an active independent and assertive part of society - Programmes of health promotion and health prevention
- Improving the communication capabilities of the elderly through the instalment of Internet cafés for seniors and a communication and discussion platform with Internet training offers
- Strategic management, activities and activity evaluation in welfare and health issues - Incorporating prospective assessment in municipal decision-making
- Plan for health at work (improving the prevention of occupational hazards) Volunteering by senior citizens has been strengthened through, notably:
- Programmes enabling old volunteers to continue their job through volunteering - Programmes recognising and valorising the skills and abilities of senior citizens
- Academy for Seniors and Society (become a voluntary consultant for non-profit organisations) - Programme aiming to develop intergenerational activities at neighbourhood level
- Enable older people to engage in helping younger members of the community through the use of mentoring and other one-to-one activities.
- Initiatives to sensitize employers to promote company volunteering
- A volunteer carrying out a service is automatically covered by the general national healthcare insurance.
An increasing number of Member States acknowledges that volunteering play an important role for an active and healthy ageing. Consequently, recent national health programmes or programmes specific for elderly people promote volunteering among elderly people.
Often, these programmes favour activity and participation through the valorisation of seniors’ expertise. In summary, functional voluntary projects included some common features. First, they gave possibilities for older citizens to use their talents, skills and knowledge in the meaningful way in various activities of the society from support to other people to moving their knowledge and experience to younger generations. ‘Senior trainers’ renew the image of the older age and age in general both among younger persons but also among older persons.
In order to make it possible, certain initiatives provide training to elderly people. Training senior citizens as consultants recognises and valorises the skills and abilities of elderly people. The training actively contributes to the ability of older citizens to live their life according to their own wishes as long as possible. The use of the experience of older people is aimed at older people who are not (only) involved in traditional voluntary work, but who want to contribute their expertise and skills flexibly, shape their involvement for themselves and act as multipliers.
Local centres often propose activities and favour communication among the elderly at a local level facilitating personal development, social participation, healthy lifestyles and positive attitudes towards ageing.
IV.4. Labour market participation and informal caring
4.1 Introduction
In the following, a selection of policies having a positive impact on reconciliation of long term care and work shall be highlighted.